Stop-release cover-support



N. C. LUND.

STOP RELEASE COVER SUPPORT.

APPLICATION min APR.1.1920.

1,362,255, l mma De@ 14,1920.

UNITED STATES NELSON C. LUND, 0F BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

STOP-RELEASE COVER-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented'Dec. 14E, 1920.

Application med April 1, 1920. seriai No. 370,35.

To all 'whom it may concern Be it known that I NELSON C. LUND, a citizenof the United States, residing at 107 Bartram Ave., Bridgeport, countyof Faireld, State of Connecticut, have invented an Improvement inStop-Release Cover- Supports, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention provides a support for the lids or covers ofboxes, chests, cabinets, and the like, which is adapted to frictionallyhold the lids or covers in any desired open position. The lids or coversmay be released from the friction holding means and closed from anyposition to which opened, or may be closed against the friction of theholding means. rlhe releasing means of the support is manipulated byslio'ht movement of the cover.

2IVith the above and other objects in View the invention comprises theconstruction and arrangement of parts now to be fully described andhereinafter specifically claimed. f

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a box showing the novel support aswhen holding a cover in an open position;

Fig. 2 a front elevation of the support, showing fragments of a box andcover in closed position;

Fig. 3 an elevation looking from the left in Fig. 2, but showing the boxand cover in section;

Fig. 4l a view corresponding with Fig. 2 but showing the support arm aswhen raised, the support arm being broken away and the lid not shown;

Fig. 5 a detail view showing the pivot bracket and associated parts insection; and

Figs. 6 and 7 are front elevations of the pivot bracket and trippingplate, showing the friction releasing member in dotted lines.

10 denotes a pivot bracket which is offset at both ends as shown at 11,the offset portions being provided with screw holes 12, whereby thepivot bracket may be attached to an end of a box. The pivot bracket isprovided with a projection 13 and with a slot consisting of a verticalportion 14 and an offset portion 15 between which is p rovided a lockingshoulder 16. A tripping plate 17 rests beneath the pivot bracket and isadapted to have slight sliding movement thereon, angular guide faces 18being provided for this purpose, and the sliding movement being limitedby offsets 11. The tripping plate is also provided with a slot similarto the slot in the pivot bracket, that is, having a vertical portion 19,an odset portion 2O and a locking shoulder 21. In addition, the slot ofthe tripping plate is provided with a tripping shoulder 22, the purposeof which will be hereinafter explained. 23 denotes a cover attachingbracket which has pivoted thereto, as at 37, a sliding support arm 24,the lower end of which carries a stop pin 25,

A U-shaped guide 26 having inwardly and downwardly extending slots 27 inits arms is provided and the sliding support arm rests against the baseof the U-shaped guide and between the arms carrying the slots; Passingthrough the slots is a frictional locking pin 28. The lower,` outerportions of the arms are struck up to provide lugs 29. Coil springs 30,arranged on the outer sides of the arms of the- U-shaped guide havetheir opposite ends, respectively, connected with the struck up lugs andwith the projecting ,ends of the rictional locking pin, as denoted by 31and 32. The arrangement is such that the springs exert a downward pullon the locking pin and thus cause it to be forced inwardly anddownwardly in the slots in the arms and against the outer face of thesliding support arm to provide frictional holding means for the supportarm. 33 denotes a U-shaped friction releasing member, the base of whichis provided with an elongated slot, denoted by 34, and the arms of whichare provided with shoulders 35. The U- shaped friction releasing memberrests beneath the base of the U-shaned guide, its arms extend around thearms of the U- shaped guide, and shoulders 35 are adapted to engageopposite ends of the frictional locking pin. As is clearly shown in Fig.5, a headed screw 36, passing through the slot in the tripping plate,through the slot in the pivot bracket, through the elongated slot in thefriction releasing member, and embedded in the U-shaped guide, holds theparts of the support in operative position.

Assume now that the box is closed and the parts of the cover support arein the positions shown in Fig. 2. The first movement in lifting thecover, the sliding support arm, as described, being frictionally held inthe U-shaped guide, is to cause screw 36 to ride to the top of thevertical portions of the slots in the pivot bracket and in the trippingplate, and to then travel to Vthe top of the offset portions thereof. Asthe screw is traveling up the inclined, edge of the offset portions, seeFig. 6, it will engage tripping shoulder 22 and cause the tripping plateto slide upwardly. As soon as the screw has passed beyond the trippingshoulder, the tripping plate falls by gravity so that thetrippingshoulder rests behind the screw. During the remaining upwardmovement of the cover, theA sliding support arm slides upwardly in theU-shaped 'guide and the screw remains inthe eXtreme upper ends of theoffset portions of the slots. See Fig. 7. When now the cover isreleased, the tripping shoulder prevents the screw from entering the`vertical slots, and directs it to fall into a recess back of thelocking shoulders. It will be apparent that the cover may be raised toany desired position and that it will stay in that position. As thecover is being raised, the sliding support arm will not be materiallyretarded in its movement for the reason that the frictional pull on theunder side ofthe locking pin tends to cause said pin to ride toward theupper portions of the slots in the arms of the U-shaped guide. When nowthe' cover is released and screw 36 is resting in the recess of theoffset portion of the slots', the sliding support arm cannot movedownward unless considerable pressure is applied'against its upper end,for the reason that downward movement of said sliding support armassists the coil springs in forcing the frictional locking pin to ridethe following manner.

inthe slots, downwardly and inwardly, to exert frictional pressureagainst the faces of the sliding support arm. However, if desired, therequired pressure may be applied to the cover to lower it against thefriction of the locking pin. The locking pin may be moved away from thesliding support arm, so that the cover may be freely lowered, in Thecover may be grasped and slightly raisedto lift screw 36 out of therecess in the offset portions. This movement of the screw will cause itto abut the lower face of the tripping shoulder and thus be guided intothe vertical portions of the slots so that it may travel downwardlytherein. The arrangement is such that when the screw has moved to aposition near the bottoms of the vertical portions of the slots, thelower edge of the friction releasing mem ber engages projection 13, seeFigs. 3 and, and causes shoulders 35 to force the locking pin outwardand upward in slots 27, thereby releasingthesliding support arm so thatit mayfreely slide downward in the U-shaped Y guidemember and arrangedbetween the'arms guide. The parts are s0 proportioned that the weight ofthe cover counterbalances the action of the frictional engaging meansand permits the cover to slowly close without perceptible jar or noise;

What I .claim is:

Vl. ln a'device of the character described, a bracket, a sliding supportarm, a guide member therefor, a friction member for holding the armin'its guide, means for varying `the hold of the friction member duringmovement of the arm in one direction, a friction release member, andmeans acting on said friction release member during movement of the armin another direction for releasing the arm from the hold of the frictionmember thereon, so that the arm moves past the friction member withgraduated friction.

2. In a device of the character described, a boX, a cover, a support armfor said cover, frictionally engaging means for said arm, a guide forsaid arm, aslotted pivot bracket, a slotted tripping bracket, means onsaid guide passing through both brackets and guided in the slotstherein, said slot in said pivot brackethaving a portion which retainsthe support arm in raised position, means for reducing the action of thefrictionally engaging means duringl upward movement of the arm and meansfor varying the action of the frictional engaging means during downwardVmovement of the arm so that it balances the weight of the cover andpermits a descent of the arm and cover with smooth action.

3. A device of the character described, comprising a pivot bracket,aguide member pivotally attached thereto, a sliding supV port armcarried by said guide member, and means for exerting frictional pressure105 against said support arm to hold it fixed in said guide and forautomatically removing said frictionalpressure in both up and downmovements to allow said support arm to freely slide in said guide. Y j

et. A device of the character described, comprising a pivot bracket, aU-shaped guide member pivotallj,T attached thereto, a sliding supportarm carried by said lJ-shaped thereof, a frictional locking pin arrangedin downwardly and inwardly extending slots in said arms of the U-shapedguide member and adapted to bear against said sliding support arm, andmeans for releasing said frictional locking pin from said slidingsupport arm. n

5. A device of the Vcharacter described, comprising a pivot bracket, aU-shaped guide member pivotally attached thereto, a sliding support armcarriedby said U-shaped guide member and arranged between Vthe armsthereof, africtional locking pin arranged in downwardly and inwardlyextending slots in said arms of the U-shaped guide member and 130adapted to bear against said sliding support arm to frictionally holdthe same, and a friction releasing member arranged to slide on saidU-shaped guide member to force said frictional locking pin away fromsaid sliding support arm.

6. A device of the character described, comprising a pivot bracket, aU-shaped guide member pivotally attached thereto, a sliding support armcarried by said U- shaped guide member and arranged between the armsthereof, a frictional locking pin arranged in downwardly and inwardlyextending slots in said arms of the U-shaped guide and adapted to bearagainst said sliding support arm to frictionally hold the same, aU-shaped friction releasing member arranged to slide on said U-shapedguide member and provided with ,shoulders adapted to bear against saidfrictional locking pin, and a projection extending from said pivotbracket, whereby when the lower edge of said friction releasing memberbears against said projection, said frictional locking pin is forced toride in said slots and away from said sliding support arm.

7. A device of the character described, comprising a pivot bracket, asliding support arm, a cover attaching bracket pivoted thereto, aU-shaped guide for said sliding support arm, the arms of said U-shapedguide being provided with inwardly and downwardly extending slots, africtional locking pin in said slots, springs attached to the ends ofsaid locking pin and to the lower, outer corners of the arms of the U-shaped guide, whereby said locking pin is caused to exert frictionalpressure against said sliding support arm, and means car' ried by saidpivot bracket and said U-shaped guide for moving said frictional lockingpin from said sliding support arm.

8. A device of the character described, comprising a pivot bracket, atripping plate slidable thereon and provided with a tripping shoulder, asliding support arm, and means for exerting frictional pressure againstsaid support arm and for removing pressure therefrom.

9. A device of the character described, comprising a pivot bracketcarrying a projection andprovided with a slot having a vertical portion,an offset portion and a shoulder between said portions, a tripping platearranged to slide on the pivot bracket and provided with a like slot andwith a downwardly extending tripping shoulder, a sliding support arm, aU-shaped guide which is pivoted to said pivot bracket and tripping plateand in which said support arm is slidable, means for exerting frictionalpressure against said support arm and for removing the pressuretherefrom, and a screw passing through the slots in said pivot bracketand tripping plate, whereby when said screw is resting in the offsetportions of said slots, pressure will be exerted against said slidingsupport arm, and when said screw is in the vertical portions of saidslots,

the pressure against said support arm will be relieved.

l0. A device ofthe character described, comprising a pivot bracketcarrying a projection and provided with a slot having a verticalportion, an offset portion and a shoulder between said portions, atripping plate arranged to slide on the pivotbracket and provided with alike slot and with a downwardly extending tripping shoulder, a slidingsupport arm, a U-shaped guide which is pivoted to said pivot bracket andtripping plate and in which said support arm is slidable, a frictionallocking pin carried in slot-s in the arms of the U-shaped guide, afriction releasing member having sliding movement on said guide andprovided with an elongated slot, and a screw passing through the slotsin said pivot bracket, said tripping plate, and said friction releasingmember, whereby said screw may be made to rest in the offset portions ofthe slots in the pivot bracket and the tripping plate so that thelocking pin exerts pressure against the support arm, or may be made tolie in said vertical portions. so that said friction releasing memberengages the frictional locking pin and the projection on-the pivotbracket and forces the locking pin from the sliding support arm.

l1. A device of the character described, comprising a pivot bracket, atripping plate provided with a tripping shoulder, a sliding support armand a guide therefor, and a screw by means of which said guide ispivoted to said pivot bracket and said tripping plate, said screwpassing through alining slots in said pivot bracket and said trippingplate, and said slots having vertical portions and oifset portionsextending from the upper ends of the vertical portions and lockingshoulders between said portions, whereby said screw may be made to liein the vertical portions, or to rest in the offset portions, eitheragainst the upper walls thereof and back of the tripping shoulder, oragainst the lower walls thereof and back of the locking shoulders, asfully described.

12. In a device of the character described, a pivot bracket having aslot consisting of a vertical portion, an offset portion, and a shoulderbetween said portions, and a tripping plate arranged to slide on saidpivot bracket and provided with a similar slot and with a trippingshoulder.

13. In a device of the character described, a U-shaped guide, a slidingsupport arm carrangedV in downwardly and inwardly extending slots in thearms of said U-shaped guide, and a friction releasing member adapted toengage said friotional locking pin.

14. In a device of the character described, a cover attaching bracket, asliding support arm attached thereto, and automatic means whereby saidsupport arm may be friotionally held in fixed position, or may bereleased and allowed to slide downward, as may be desirable.

l5. In a device of the character described, comprising a bracket, asliding support arm.

a guide therefor, frictional means controlling the movement of the armin one'direction, positive -means on the bracket for 15 Jfrictionalmeans being different from the 20 irst vaction thereof. Y

In testimony whereof l affix. my signature.

NELSON C. LUND.

